Why Darvin Ham Makes Sense on Suns' Staff

The former Lakers coach could be a prime candidate to be in Phoenix next season.

Apr 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham watches game action against the Denver Nuggets during the first half in game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have officially ushered in the Mike Budenholzer era going into Year 2 of the "big three" experiment with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal looking to win a title here in the Valley.

With that comes an entirely new coaching staff as well.

It was reported that the entire staff under Frank Vogel was relieved of duty in the days after the move - and coach Budenholzer will be tasked with building a new staff that can better connect with the team.

Every assistant is important, but the associate head coach essentially acts as the right-hand man of the head coach - and it's essential that both are on the same page, as evidenced by the Vogel/Kevin Young dynamic this past season.

Darvin Ham - the freshly fired/former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers - is a prime candidate to serve this duty for at least the upcoming season.

Ham had been an assistant under Budenholzer in both Atlanta and Milwaukee from 2013-22 prior to taking the Lakers' post.

While he did accumulate a 90-74 record and consecutive playoff appearances, many of his rotational decisions among other things were chipped at by fans and media alike - it eventually led to his dismissal.

Many NBA insiders have alluded to the fact that there will be interest in Ham for head coaching posts in the future, but nothing appears to be materializing this offseason - so the Suns loom as a perfect "image rehab" over the next year.

Ham could connect with players like he did in previous seasons working under Budenholzer, and he truly could focus on his defensive-minded acumen - a reverse pivot from the approach taken by the franchise last season.

Ham has championship-winning pedigree along with Budenholzer and simply has extensive histories with superstar-level players, including LeBron James/Anthony Davis over the last two seasons.

He simply stands a better chance at connecting with a locker room that appeared to be semi-fractured in 2023-24 than his predecessor or any other potential candidates for the role.

Suns fans should ultimately have faith in Budenholzer to build an overall quality staff, but bringing on Ham serves as the most clear-cut move during the process - and fans should not let the firing at the hand of the Lakers dictate opinions on this topic.